Six pieces of public artwork lauded in Anaheim

Nov. 7, 2013

Updated 10:25 a.m.

1 of 6

Anaheim's Convention Center Grand Plaza, which features a walking path that resembles the Santa Ana River, will earn the Julie Mayer Award as the Grand Prize winner in the Art in Public Places ceremony Thursday. The 100,000 square foot plaza which cost $15 million is complete with water fountains resembling the mountains and ocean. ///ADDITIONAL INFO /// KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER - 1107.anb.arts - shot: 11/3/13 -- /// Selected pieces of art around the city of Anaheim by a special council who are selecting pieces to be honored. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 6

The Autonetics Memorial along La Palma Avenue resembles an airplane's tail and honors a former aerospace company which manufactured technology for U.S. submarines and missiles. The property is now owned by Boeing and uses the memorial to reflect on the evolution of aerospace technology throughout the years. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 6

Temple Beth Emet's representation of the 12 Tribes of Israel surrounding The Holy Ark exemplifies the contemporary synagogue's artistic features. The Anaheim Art Council also recognized the synagogue for its "Tree of Life", a series of gold plates bearing the names of donors. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 6

The refurbished Abraham Lincoln statue that stands in front of Lincoln Elementary School in Anaheim was given an "honorable mention" by the Anaheim Arts Council. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 6

Anaheim Citrus Packing House along Anaheim Boulevard was revived this year into a retail and dining hub boasting more than 20 boutiques and artisan food booths. The old warehouse is one of the region's last examples of Mission Revival architecture. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 6

Labels on the craft beers sold at the Anaheim Brewery are considered to be pieces of art that acknowledge the city's earlier years. Drawn by local artist Chris Maya, the labels highlight important landmarks throughout the city. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Anaheim's Convention Center Grand Plaza, which features a walking path that resembles the Santa Ana River, will earn the Julie Mayer Award as the Grand Prize winner in the Art in Public Places ceremony Thursday. The 100,000 square foot plaza which cost $15 million is complete with water fountains resembling the mountains and ocean. ///ADDITIONAL INFO /// KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER - 1107.anb.arts - shot: 11/3/13 -- /// Selected pieces of art around the city of Anaheim by a special council who are selecting pieces to be honored.KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Twelve pieces of public art scattered across the city were nominated, with six getting honored today by the Anaheim Arts Council.

The group’s annual Art in Public Places Awards ceremony is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Downtown Community Center, featuring a speech from artist Richard Turner of Chapman University, who designed a sculpture that sits outside the Muzeo. The council’s board members said that all of the art pieces being honored are original, accessible to the public and located in Anaheim.

“These really are the best of the best this year,” said Helen Carter, chairwoman of the council’s Art in Public Places Committee. “A lot of the winners honor the joy of Anaheim’s history.”

And the winners are:

First Place: The Anaheim Convention Center’s Grand Plaza is receiving the Julie Mayer Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Anaheim Arts Council, named for a former board member who died from cancer in 1998 at the age of 52.

The 100,000-square-foot Grand Plaza opened in January at a cost of $15 million, providing a gathering space for concerts and displays at the Convention Center. The meandering, blue design along the pedestrian walkway is supposed to represent the Santa Ana River, which runs through Anaheim. Sixty orange trees provide a nod to the city’s past, along with a series of water features meant to evoke the mountains and ocean.

“This is a lovely landscape that subtly tells the history of Anaheim,” Carter said.

Location: 800 W. Katella Ave.

Second Place: With a dramatic, swooping design meant to evoke an airplane’s tail, the Autonetics Memorial honors a former aerospace company that manufactured technology that guided U.S. submarines and missiles. Autonetics was once Anaheim’s largest employer, with 36,000 employees. The company’s 188-acre property is now owned by Boeing.

“It’s big, it’s public, it’s very striking and was built very artistically, so it warrants recognition,” said Michael Buss, the Anaheim Arts Council’s president.

Location: 3195 E. La Palma Ave.

Third Place: Temple Beth Emet’s representation of the 12 Tribes of Israel surrounding The Holy Ark, and other pieces of artwork are prime examples of a contemporary synagogue. Stained-glass windows represent the parting of the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments, the Garden of Eden and other scenes from the Torah. A series of gold plates bearing the names of donors compose a “Tree of Life” hanging on one wall.

“It’s beautifully artistic with all of its art and it’s a public space that you can walk right into to enjoy,” Buss said.

Location: 1770 W. Cerritos Ave.

Honorable Mention: A life-sized plaster statue of Abraham Lincoln was restored last year for $10,000 as part of an overall upgrade at Lincoln Elementary School. Even though the statue was long associated with the school, it spent time over the past 20 years in a school district warehouse, an antique mall and an art collector’s back yard, until it was finally returned to the school.

“The statue would have been one of our top winners, in my opinion, but we don’t know who sculpted it,” Buss said.

Location: 1413 E. Broadway

Honorable Mention: After decades of neglect, the abandoned Anaheim Citrus Packing House was revived this year into a retail and dining hub boasting more than 20 boutiques and artisan food booths. The old warehouse is one of the region’s last examples of Mission Revival architecture. Anaheim city officials spent $10.4 million in redevelopment-related funds to purchase and redevelop the three acres encompassing the Packing House, the neighboring Packard Building and the new Farmers Park.

“We love how it was restored back to its original look; it’s just amazing,” Carter said.

Location: 440 S. Anaheim Blvd.

Honorable Mention: The labels on the homemade beers sold at the Anaheim Brewery are considered to be pieces of art that acknowledge the city’s earlier years, Carter said. Drawn by local artist Chris Maya, the labels “make me smile every time I look at them,” Carter said.

Owners Barbara and Greg Gerovac opened the ale house in 2010 at the Packard Building, reviving the name of a brewery that was open in downtown Anaheim from 1870 until Prohibition took hold in 1920.

Location: 336 S. Anaheim Blvd.

The president of the Anaheim Arts Council lamented about what he perceives as a lack of public art here, but city officials dispute the claim.

While both sides note that downtown Anaheim houses a bulk of the city’s sculptures, paintings and other creative expressions, Michael Buss said that the city needs to invest more money in art projects.

“I think Anaheim is actually somewhat impoverished of public art,” Buss said. “We just have a few things scattered about town, with much of it concentrated in downtown or located inside buildings. There just isn’t a lot of art out there for people to enjoy.”

The city’s website, Anaheim.net, has an “Art in Public Places” map that shows where people can find public art in the downtown area, including the 9-foot-tall Veterans Monument in front of the Muzeo.

Other local examples of public art include the Mito Bridge in the Anaheim Shores neighborhood and the Anaheim Coves nature trail, said city spokeswoman Ruth Ruiz. Additionally, the city plans to incorporate a large glass mosaic wall depicting Paul Revere at the new Paul Revere Park under construction on Guinida Lane.

“The arts is an important element of Anaheim’s culture, and one for which we look forward to growing and expanding,” Ruiz said.

City officials launched the council in 1977 to serve an advisory role on cultural issues, but the group broke off and became a separate nonprofit entity in 2002. Since then, the council has distributed various student scholarships, honored local pieces of art and sponsored the Children’s Festival.

Buss said that he would be willing to work with city officials to launch a matching-funds drive or seek out donations to build more public-art pieces in Anaheim.

“I know our current city leaders are very supportive, but they don’t have the budget to support major public-art projects,” Buss said. “For a city of this size, we need more public art in more places to provide an inspiration for people.”

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.